Seinfeld Doesn't Like Talk Shows

Jerry Seinfeld explains why he doesn't like doing talk shows and probably won't be on them in the future.



I don't think there's anything particularly interesting, funny or revelatory here, exactly. I think it's no secret that talk shows do pre-interviews. It's just a matter of degree. And there are pros and cons each way.

Letterman, on one end of the spectrum, didn't rely on the pre-interview hardly at all and the result was a genuine conversation that might be boring, might be awkward or might be amazing.

On the other end of the spectrum is Conan, who'll always get the funny interview but it's utterly artificial. Anytime you hear questions like "You were on vacation recently, I wonder if you enjoy foreign breakfasts." or "You're pretty popular, I bet you have some interesting conversations with toll booth operators", it should be obvious to anyone on the planet who's given it even a second of thought that this is not a real conversation - he knows there's a funny story there and he wants the monkey to dance.